Chief Suspended Over Bumpernuts

Posted by: Curt Varone November 30, 2010 1 Comment

OK, this one is almost too easy, and thanks to my friends who passed it along. Where do we begin. A fire chief has been suspended for his role in a refusing to remove a pair of plastic testicular replicas (aka Bumpernuts) from one of his fire trucks.

Chief Donald Fee of the Freeport (New York) Fire Department was suspended for 30 days by Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick. He was originally told to remove the Bumpernuts in September, but apparently the item (or items) were merely relocated to the cab where they were still visible.

The mayor was quoted as saying the Bumpernuts were “offensive, insensitive and unprofessional”.

Here is a photo of the offending article: BumperNut

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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